Open source | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/opensource
Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voiceen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2018Sun, 18 Feb 2018 05:23:42 GMT2018-02-18T05:23:42Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2018The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
Is it worth buying a refurbished PC for under £150?https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2018/feb/15/is-it-worth-buying-cheap-budget-refurbished-desktop-pc-computer
<p>Mark needs to replace a 10-year-old desktop computer on a budget. Is a refurbished model a good option?</p><p>I’m considering buying a new general-purpose home computer for $200 [£142] or less, and I’d like a mini-tower that I can easily repair and upgrade.</p><p>I will use it on the web, to scan photographs (with a flatbed scanner), and to watch video recordings from my trail cameras. I’d like to buy the minimum PC that can handle these tasks significantly faster than my 10-year-old <a href="https://www.lifewire.com/dell-dimension-b110-832018">Dell Dimension B110</a>. I think I’d be happy with a 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo.</p><p>Many people are familiar with the idea of “fleet cars” that have been bought or leased by large corporations and replaced after two or three years. They are cheap and have generally been well maintained, which makes them popular in the second hand market. There’s a similar market in “fleet computers”, which are usually recycled after three years and sold as refurbished PCs.<br></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2018/feb/15/is-it-worth-buying-cheap-budget-refurbished-desktop-pc-computer">Continue reading...</a>ComputingTechnologyDellLenovoMicrosoftWindowsLinuxSoftwareOpen sourceThu, 15 Feb 2018 10:41:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2018/feb/15/is-it-worth-buying-cheap-budget-refurbished-desktop-pc-computerPhotograph: Image Source / Alamy/AlamyPhotograph: Image Source / Alamy/AlamyJack Schofield2018-02-15T10:41:12ZCould the best way to make money from science be to give it away for free?https://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2016/dec/16/could-the-best-way-to-make-money-from-science-be-to-give-it-away-for-free
<p>Billionaire Larry Tanenbaum has announced a major donation that will not just fund neuroscience, but support a new way of doing it</p><p>With the help of Tanenbaum’s gift of 20 million Canadian dollars (£12million) the ‘Neuro’, the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, is setting up an experiment in experimentation, an <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/montreal-institute-going-open-accel-erate-science">Open Science Initiative</a> with the express purpose of finding out the best way to realise the potential of scientific research.</p><p>It is hard to be against ‘open science’. Openness – the public sharing and challenging of knowledge – is held up as one of the foundational ideals of science. During the cold war, Niels Bohr was not alone in arguing that this principle should apply to politics too: ‘The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy, but the best weapon of a democracy should be the weapon of openness’. For much of its history, science has been ahead of the curve when it comes to openness. However, as access to online information has exploded, scientific research, much of which is hidden behind paywalls, looked like a closed shop.<br></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2016/dec/16/could-the-best-way-to-make-money-from-science-be-to-give-it-away-for-free">Continue reading...</a>ScienceScience policyHealth policyOpen sourceOpen access scientific publishingPeer review and scientific publishingPhilanthropyNeuroscienceFri, 16 Dec 2016 18:16:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2016/dec/16/could-the-best-way-to-make-money-from-science-be-to-give-it-away-for-freePhotograph: NYstudio/Getty Images/iStockphotoPhotograph: NYstudio/Getty Images/iStockphotoJack Stilgoe2016-12-16T18:16:00Z'Dirty Cow' Linux vulnerability found after nine yearshttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/21/dirty-cow-linux-vulnerability-found-after-nine-years
<p>The ‘Dirty Cow’ bug was originally introduced nine years ago, and has been sitting unnoticed for much of that time</p><p>The operating system that lies at the core of most servers on the internet and most smartphones has a critical vulnerability which has existed, unnoticed, for nine years.</p><p>Called “Dirty Cow” (because it exploits a mechanism called copy-on-write), the bug allows an attacker to gain privilege escalation on the Linux kernel.</p><p>Linux, properly known as GNU/Linux, is an open-source operating system originally developed by Finnish programmer Linus Torvalds in 1991.</p><p>Based on Richard Stallman’s GNU project, the operating system was originally created to provide a free, open alternative to traditional PC operating systems, then dominated by Microsoft’s DOS.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/21/dirty-cow-linux-vulnerability-found-after-nine-years">Continue reading...</a>LinuxComputingOpen sourceSoftwareTechnologyFri, 21 Oct 2016 10:55:24 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/21/dirty-cow-linux-vulnerability-found-after-nine-yearsPhotograph: Dirty CowPhotograph: Dirty CowAlex Hern2016-10-21T10:55:24ZOpen source tools can help small businesses cut costs and save timehttps://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/sep/28/open-source-tools-help-small-businesses-cut-costs-save-time
<p>Small businesses are reaping the benefits of free open source software, but it pays to be aware of the downsides</p><p>Imagine if there was a global community of tech experts who were independently building and improving digital tools that you could use for free. Tools that could help you provide a service for, and communicate with, your customers.<br></p><p>Well, there is. The open source community is made up of amateur and professional computer coders who work on publicly available computer code. Businesses can then take these lines of code from websites such as <a href="https://github.com/open-source" rel="nofollow">Github</a>, to use in their software, products and services.<br></p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/may/31/time-saving-tools-ecommerce-businesses">Time-saving tools for e-commerce businesses</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/aug/19/how-to-start-a-business-in-30-days">How to start a business in 30 days</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/sep/28/open-source-tools-help-small-businesses-cut-costs-save-time">Continue reading...</a>Smarter workingGuardian Small Business NetworkBusinessSmall businessMedia & Tech NetworkTechnologyOpen sourceComputingSoftwareWed, 28 Sep 2016 06:30:58 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/sep/28/open-source-tools-help-small-businesses-cut-costs-save-timePhotograph: Alamy Stock PhotoPhotograph: Alamy Stock PhotoLauren Razavi2016-09-28T06:30:58ZCan the open hardware revolution help to democratise technology?https://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2016/sep/07/can-the-open-hardware-revolution-help-to-democratise-technology
<p>A fast-growing open hardware movement is creating ingenious versions of all sorts of technologies, and freely sharing them through social media. </p><p><a href="https://home.cern/">CERN </a>is home to some of the largest and most complex scientific equipment on the planet. Yet back in March, scientists gathered there for a <a href="http://www.makery.info/en/2016/03/14/gosh-reunit-le-mouvement-open-science-hardware-au-cern/">conference about DIY laboratory tools</a>. Scientists in poorly funded labs, particularly in the global south, have <a href="https://www.academia.edu/5082651/The_making_of_an_indigenous_Scanning_Tunneling_Microscope_and_Technological_Jugaad_as_a_culture_of_innovation_in_India">used DIY tools for many years</a>. But well-resourced institutes are increasingly interested in the collaborative possibilities of open labware. Citizen scientists are also using it to build instruments for tasks like <a href="https://publiclab.org/">environmental monitoring</a>, which can then be used to support community demands for justice from polluters.</p><p>It is not only scientists – citizen or professional – who are going DIY. An open hardware movement of hobbyists, activists, geeks, designers, engineers, students and social entrepreneurs is creating ingenious versions of all sorts of technologies, and freely sharing the know-how through social media. Open hardware is also encroaching upon centres of manufacturing. In August, for instance, the <a href="http://fab12.fabevent.org/">global gathering of FabLabs met in Shenzhen</a> (already <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2014/apr/24/making-in-china-maker-faire-shenzhen-global-politics-maker-movement">host</a> to Maker Faires) to review how their network can help to decentralise design and manufacture.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2016/sep/07/can-the-open-hardware-revolution-help-to-democratise-technology">Continue reading...</a>ScienceScience policyTechnologyOpen sourceComputingWed, 07 Sep 2016 16:19:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2016/sep/07/can-the-open-hardware-revolution-help-to-democratise-technologyPhotograph: Open ManufacturingPhotograph: Open ManufacturingAdrian Smith and Mariano Fressoli2016-09-07T16:19:02ZPublishers must let online readers pay for news anonymouslyhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/01/online-publishers-readers-ad-block-surveillance-donate-anonymously
<p>Some newspaper and magazine websites are cutting off access to readers unless they accept being surveilled by advertisers – no thank you!</p><p>Online newspapers and magazines have come to depend, for their income, on a system of advertising and surveillance, which is both annoying and unjust. </p><p>Readers are rebelling by installing ad blockers, which cut into the publisher’s surveillance-based income. And in response, some sites are cutting off access to readers unless they accept being surveilled. What they ought to do instead is give us a truly anonymous way to pay.<br>Some people use ad blockers because they find the sight of an advertisement offensive. That’s purely subjective, and publishers could argue that readers are overreacting. Yet ads on the internet <em>do</em> inconvenience readers too. Adverts increase the amount of data needed to view a page, making it slow to load and expensive on a mobile connection.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/21/digital-millennium-copyright-act-eff-supreme-court">America's broken digital copyright law is about to be challenged in court</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/01/online-publishers-readers-ad-block-surveillance-donate-anonymously">Continue reading...</a>SoftwareMediaDigital mediaComputingNewspapers & magazinesTechnologyEncryptionOpen sourceThu, 01 Sep 2016 13:00:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/01/online-publishers-readers-ad-block-surveillance-donate-anonymouslyPhotograph: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty ImagesRichard Stallman2016-09-01T13:00:11ZGit Merge 2016https://www.theguardian.com/info/developer-blog/2016/jul/02/git-merge-2016
<p>A belated report back on the Git Merge 2016 conference, held over two days in April.</p><p>The GitMerge 2016 conference was held in New York over two days in April - the first day was the Git core contributors conference, and the second was open to the general public, taking place on the stage of the off-broadway production of Avenue Q.<br></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/developer-blog/2016/jul/02/git-merge-2016">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyOpen sourceComputingSoftwareFri, 01 Jul 2016 23:56:46 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/info/developer-blog/2016/jul/02/git-merge-2016Photograph: Roberto Tyley for the GuardianPhotograph: Roberto Tyley for the GuardianRoberto Tyley2016-07-01T23:56:46ZNothing but woe for users of Windows | Brief lettershttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/24/nothing-but-woe-for-users-of-windows
Microsoft Windows | Ubuntu | Due credit | Brexit claims | Tax and spend<p>On reading Michele Hanson’s column (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/23/microsoft-windows-ten-10-software-update-problems-iplayer" title="">G2</a>, 24 May), I felt a jolt of recognition.Yesterday, I realised that Windows 10 – without my desire or permission – had started to install itself. The only way I could stop it was to bang madly on every key on the keyboard. This seemed to work, but I have a feeling that it is still lying in wait somewhere inside my laptop, poised to take over.<br><strong>David London</strong><br><em>Twickenham</em></p><p>• Why not try a different system than Windows? <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/" title="">Ubuntu</a> always gives the option to upgrade or not. It is open-source, free, and can be downloaded from the website and used in parallel on your machine until you decide whether you like it or not. I have used it for years.<br><strong>John Singleton</strong><br><em>Nelson, Lancashire</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/24/nothing-but-woe-for-users-of-windows">Continue reading...</a>The QueenMonarchyUK newsPhotographyArt and designMicrosoftComputingTechnologyLinuxOpen sourceSoftwareBrexitEuropean UnionForeign policyPoliticsGeorge OsborneTue, 24 May 2016 18:37:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/24/nothing-but-woe-for-users-of-windowsPhotograph: Cultura RM / Alamy/AlamyPhotograph: Cultura RM / Alamy/AlamyLetters2016-05-24T18:37:50ZBrewDog’s open-source revolution is at the vanguard of postcapitalismhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/29/brewdogs-open-source-revolution-is-at-the-vanguard-of-postcapitalism
<p>By sharing their recipes, the Scottish-based brewery shows a modern understanding of intellectual property. This approach won’t destroy capitalism, but it does challenge its dynamics<br></p><p>For me, the beer revolution began early. It was the late 1990s – at a beachside eaterie in Santa Cruz, a gaggle of hacks specialising in the Unix operating system were being plied with sushi and chardonnay. But my friend grabbed my elbow and steered me away from all these distractions towards the deserted bar. There, cool and glinting, was a tap marked Sierra Nevada.</p><p>Back then, craft beer was utterly and astonishingly new. It was hoppy, it was electric. Somebody had bothered to drain their bank account and tinker with actual hops and malt in their backyard to make it, setting themselves against the power of the vast industrial breweries.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/jan/18/intellectual-property-protect-business-copycats">Intellectual property and how I protect my business from copycats</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/29/brewdogs-open-source-revolution-is-at-the-vanguard-of-postcapitalism">Continue reading...</a>Intellectual propertyBeerFood & drinkMusic festivalsCultureOpen sourceSoftwareComputingTechnologyLawMon, 29 Feb 2016 15:53:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/29/brewdogs-open-source-revolution-is-at-the-vanguard-of-postcapitalismPhotograph: Alan Richardson for the GuardianPhotograph: Alan Richardson for the GuardianPaul Mason2016-02-29T15:53:00ZThe innovators: Skeleton car that is driving open-source designhttps://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/28/the-innovators-platform-car-thats-driving-open-source-design
<p>OSVehicle hopes Tabby Evo electric car, which can be built in an hour, will be embraced by aid agencies and universities, among others</p><p><br>In the chaos that ensues after a natural disaster, getting vehicles to aid workers for transporting refugees and supplies can be impossible as roads are frequently blocked. An alternative, says Yuki Liu, chief operating officer of the car design firm <a draggable="true" href="https://www.osvehicle.com/">OSVehicle</a>, is to airlift them in sections and construct them on the ground.</p><p>The idea is unworkable in the case of a standard car or 4x4 but possibly not for the Tabby Evo, an electric vehicle that can be shipped in parts and put together in an hour.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/28/google-self-driving-car-how-does-it-work">Google's self-driving car: How does it work and when can we drive one?</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/28/the-innovators-platform-car-thats-driving-open-source-design">Continue reading...</a>Automotive industryEntrepreneursMotoringOpen sourceMotoringBusinessResearch and developmentTechnologyMoneyElectric, hybrid and low-emission carsSmall businessEthical and green livingEnvironmentSelf-driving carsTravel and transportSun, 28 Feb 2016 15:36:27 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/28/the-innovators-platform-car-thats-driving-open-source-designPhotograph: Simone SpadaPhotograph: Simone SpadaShane Hickey2016-02-28T15:36:27ZHow many tech firms does it take to change a light bulb for the worse? Only one: Philipshttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/11/philips-hue-led-bulbs-proprietary-charles-arthur
<p>The company’s Hue controllers allow you to change the colour and brightness of bulbs. But then Philips decided to block third-party suppliers.</p><p>You know how frustrating it is when you put a cartridge in your printer, and it tuts at you about “not an approved part”, after which, printing becomes even more of a lottery than usual? Now you can get the same experience with light bulbs.</p><p>In mid-December, Philips – best known for the fabulously popular compact cassette and then the fabulously unpopular digital compact cassette – released a firmware update for its Hue LED light bulbs and controllers. Apart from having a rather HAL-like appearance, with a glowing red centre surrounded by blackness, the Hue is meant to let you control the colour and brightness of your bulbs, all from the comfort of your smartphone.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/11/philips-hue-led-bulbs-proprietary-charles-arthur">Continue reading...</a>Internet of thingsTechnologyGadgetsSmart homesOpen sourceMon, 11 Jan 2016 07:30:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/11/philips-hue-led-bulbs-proprietary-charles-arthurPhotograph: handout / PhiiipsPhotograph: handout / PhiiipsCharles Arthur2016-01-11T07:30:09ZIan Murdock: a tribute to the man and his work on Linuxhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/31/ian-murdock-a-tribute-to-the-man-and-his-work-on-linux
<p>Murdock’s work combined an insistence on excellence with a public commitment to open, ethical software development, writes <strong>Doc Searls</strong></p><p>Ian Murdock, who died in San Francisco on 28 December, was the co-creator of the <a href="http://debian.org">Debian</a>, the Linux distribution he founded while an undergraduate at Indiana’s Purdue University in 1993.</p><p>The circumstances of Murdock’s death have not been made public. After praising Murdock for the good work he did for the company and the world, a statement from his most recent employer <a href="https://www.docker.com/">Docker</a> added that “Ian’s family has requested that well-wishers and press respect their privacy and direct all inquiries through Docker”.<br></p><p>His principle was to produce the best code for the most people, and that principle won't die</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/31/ian-murdock-a-tribute-to-the-man-and-his-work-on-linux">Continue reading...</a>LinuxTechnologyOpen sourceComputingSoftwareSan FranciscoFri, 01 Jan 2016 03:56:59 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/31/ian-murdock-a-tribute-to-the-man-and-his-work-on-linuxPhotograph: Ilya Schurov/Ilya Schurov, Computerra WeeklyPhotograph: Ilya Schurov/Ilya Schurov, Computerra WeeklyDoc Searls2016-01-01T03:56:59ZThe problem with self-driving cars: who controls the code?https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/23/the-problem-with-self-driving-cars-who-controls-the-code
<p>Should autonomous vehicles be programmed to choose who they kill when they crash? And who gets access to the code that determines those decisions?</p><p>The Trolley Problem is an ethical brainteaser that’s been entertaining philosophers since it was posed by Philippa Foot in 1967:</p><p>A runaway train will slaughter five innocents tied to its track unless you pull a lever to switch it to a siding on which one man, also innocent and unawares, is standing. Pull the lever, you save the five, but kill the one: what is the ethical course of action?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/23/the-problem-with-self-driving-cars-who-controls-the-code">Continue reading...</a>Self-driving carsTechnologyProgrammingEthicsOpen sourceComputingSoftwareWed, 23 Dec 2015 12:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/23/the-problem-with-self-driving-cars-who-controls-the-codePhotograph: Tony Avelar/APPhotograph: Tony Avelar/APCory Doctorow2015-12-23T12:00:01ZBassel Khartabil: fears for man who brought open internet to the Arab worldhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/11/bassel-khartabil-fears-for-man-who-brought-open-internet-to-the-arab-world
<p>The developer’s imprisonment is a sign that technologists are being targeted along with journalists and human rights lawyers</p><p>Syria never had a hackerspace until Bassel Khartabil – known online as Bassel Safadi – started Aiki Lab in Damascus in 2010. The Palestinian-Syrian open-source software developer used it as a base from which to advance the free software and free culture movements in his country. Because of Khartabil’s work, people gained new tools to express themselves and communicate.<br></p><p>Writing to the vice president of the <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2013-014046+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN">European commission in 2013</a>, MEPs Charles Tannock and Ana Gomes summed up Khartabil’s contributions as “opening up the internet in Syria - a country with a notorious record of online censorship” and “vastly extending online access and knowledge to the Syrian people”. Among his awards included the 2013 Index on Censorship Digital Freedom Award for using technology to promote an open and free internet.<br></p><p>He is a brother of ours who has been taken</p><p>Though quiet, Khartabil 'would giggle like Beavis and Butt-head'</p><p>He was an activist for a free internet, not an activist in the political sense of trying to overthrow the government</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/11/bassel-khartabil-fears-for-man-who-brought-open-internet-to-the-arab-world">Continue reading...</a>Open sourceTechnologySyriaMiddle East and North AfricaSoftwareWorld newsComputingFri, 11 Dec 2015 11:37:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/11/bassel-khartabil-fears-for-man-who-brought-open-internet-to-the-arab-worldPhotograph: Mohamed Nanabhay/FlickrPhotograph: Mohamed Nanabhay/FlickrZoë Corbyn in San Francisco2015-12-11T11:37:56ZOpen-sourced food production – the future of urban diets?https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/10/open-sourced-food-production-future-urban-diets
<p>Scientists are developing open-source technologies that reward locally grown foods, cutting down on shipping and improving nutrition</p><p>As much as 40% of the urban diet could eventually be produced in specialized domestic grow-boxes, an agricultural scientist has explained, cutting down on unnecessary shipping and also providing fresher, more nutritional food.</p><p>Caleb Harper, director of the <a href="https://www.media.mit.edu/special/groups/open-ag">Open Agriculture Lab at the </a><a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>, is developing sustainable food systems, including boxes that create controlled environments to grow specific types of food. Certain combinations of temperature, humidity and soil can be optimised for certain crops, such as tomatoes, and that “recipe” can be shared through the lab’s open source work to recreate it anywhere in the world.</p><p>The next revolution is about an accounting machine that takes into ecological and nutritional consequences</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/10/open-sourced-food-production-future-urban-diets">Continue reading...</a>Open sourceTechnologyFarmingScienceAgricultureFoodEnvironmentTue, 10 Nov 2015 19:41:22 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/10/open-sourced-food-production-future-urban-dietsPhotograph: AlamyPhotograph: AlamyEmily Price in San Francisco2015-11-10T19:41:22ZOpen sourcing Grid, the Guardian’s new image management servicehttps://www.theguardian.com/info/developer-blog/2015/aug/12/open-sourcing-grid-image-service
<p>This is the story of how we are building <a href="https://github.com/guardian/grid">Grid</a>, the Guardian’s new image management system, working very closely with our editorial colleagues and using a modern technology stack. Oh, and it’s all Open Source.</p><p>For about a year, a small dedicated team has been building the Guardian’s new image management service.</p><p>From the beginning, the <a href="https://github.com/guardian/grid/blob/master/VISION.md">vision</a> was to provide a universal and fast experience accessing media that is well organised and using it in an affordable way to produce high-quality content.</p><p>It’s so fast – really makes a difference that it’s so quick to search</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/developer-blog/2015/aug/12/open-sourcing-grid-image-service">Continue reading...</a>Open sourceSoftwareWed, 12 Aug 2015 13:21:23 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/info/developer-blog/2015/aug/12/open-sourcing-grid-image-servicePhotograph: The GuardianPhotograph: The GuardianSébastien Cevey2015-08-12T13:21:23ZOutspoken privacy campaigner Caspar Bowden dies after battle with cancerhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/10/outspoken-privacy-campaigner-caspar-bowden-dies-after-battle-with-cancer
<p>Tributes pour in after well respected anti-surveillance campaigner and former Microsoft privacy chief who warned of NSA snooping before Snowden dies</p><p>Microsoft’s former head of privacy and respected independent privacy campaigner Caspar Bowden has died after a battle with cancer.<br></p><p>A popular and outspoken figure in privacy advocacy, Bowden was particularly active after the Snowden revelations of government surveillance, advising the European parliament among others.</p><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Deeply saddened by the loss of <a href="https://twitter.com/CasparBowden">@CasparBowden</a>, a rare combination of intellectual rigor and the passion of a human rights activist. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Privacy?src=hash">#Privacy</a></p><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RIP <a href="https://twitter.com/CasparBowden">@CasparBowden</a>, a great privacy advocate: terrible loss</p><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RIP Caspar Bowden :/ A man of great value, who understood the techno-political architrcture of surveillance before most of everyone else. &lt;3</p><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dark day for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/privacy?src=hash">#privacy</a>. Folks who knew <a href="https://twitter.com/CasparBowden">@CasparBowden</a>: we've just lost one of the most committed, single-minded activists our cause has known.</p><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/CasparBowden">@CasparBowden</a> thank you for fighting for our right to privacy, for our right to be free from control. You will be missed.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/10/outspoken-privacy-campaigner-caspar-bowden-dies-after-battle-with-cancer">Continue reading...</a>MicrosoftInternetOpen sourcePrivacyTechnologySurveillanceEuropean UnionWorld newsEuropeComputingSoftwareFri, 10 Jul 2015 07:07:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/10/outspoken-privacy-campaigner-caspar-bowden-dies-after-battle-with-cancerPhotograph: Rama/Wikimedia CommonsPhotograph: Rama/Wikimedia CommonsSamuel Gibbs2015-07-10T07:07:37ZGoogle pulls listening software from Chromiumhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/25/google-pulls-listening-software-chromium
<p>Search company removes ‘eavesdropping’ audio-monitoring software from open-source base of Chrome browser after outcry from privacy campaigners </p><p>Google has pulled its listening software from the open-source Chromium browser after complaints from developers and privacy campaigners.<br></p><p>The tool, which uses the computer’s microphone to listen out for the “OK, Google” hotword to trigger voice searches, was silently downloaded with updates of Chromium by default.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/23/google-eavesdropping-tool-installed-computers-without-permission">Google eavesdropping tool installed on computers without permission</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/25/google-pulls-listening-software-chromium">Continue reading...</a>ChromeGoogleOpen sourceTechnologyWeb browsersSoftwareComputingInternetThu, 25 Jun 2015 09:20:59 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/25/google-pulls-listening-software-chromiumPhotograph: Jeff Chiu/APPhotograph: Jeff Chiu/APSamuel Gibbs2015-06-25T09:20:59ZGoogle eavesdropping tool installed on computers without permissionhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/23/google-eavesdropping-tool-installed-computers-without-permission
<p>Privacy advocates claim always-listening component was involuntarily activated within Chromium, potentially exposing private conversations</p><p>Privacy campaigners and open source developers are up in arms over the secret installing of Google software which is capable of listening in on conversations held in front of a computer.<br></p><p>First spotted by open source developers, the Chromium browser – the open source basis for Google’s Chrome – began remotely installing audio-snooping code that was capable of listening to users. </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/20/google-excludes-revenge-porn-internet-searches">Google to exclude 'revenge porn' from internet searches</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/23/google-eavesdropping-tool-installed-computers-without-permission">Continue reading...</a>GoogleChromeWeb browsersSoftwareLinuxOpen sourceTechnologyPrivacyWorld newsInternetComputingTue, 23 Jun 2015 12:27:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/23/google-eavesdropping-tool-installed-computers-without-permissionPhotograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty ImagesSamuel Gibbs2015-06-23T12:27:42ZMalware is not only about viruses – companies preinstall it all the timehttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/22/malware-viruses-companies-preinstall
<p>Since I started free software in the 80s, developers have grown to routinely mistreat users by shackling behaviour and snooping – but we have ways to resist </p><p>In 1983, when I started the free software movement, malware was so rare that each case was shocking and scandalous. Now it’s normal.</p><p>To be sure, I am not talking about viruses. Malware is the name for a program designed to mistreat its users. Viruses typically are malicious, but software products and software preinstalled in products can also be malicious – and often are, when not free/libre.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/21/microsoft-tightens-privacy-policy-journalists-emails">Microsoft tightens privacy policy after admitting to reading journalist's emails</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/22/malware-viruses-companies-preinstall">Continue reading...</a>MalwareTechnologySoftwareLinuxComputingData and computer securityOpen sourceMicrosoftAppleKindleiOSWindowsFri, 22 May 2015 13:33:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/22/malware-viruses-companies-preinstallPhotograph: Scott Thomas/Scott Thomas/CorbisPhotograph: Scott Thomas/Scott Thomas/CorbisRichard Stallman2015-05-22T13:33:14Z